Cash for Votes Morphs to Goods for Votes

TN polls: DMK, AIADMK lure voters with freebies
Srirangam/Tiruvarur: The DMK-AIADMK rivalry has determined Tamil Nadu politics for over two decades. And both J Jayalalithaa and M Karunanidhi filed their nominations on the same day - the AIADMK chief from Srirangam, and the DMK patriarch from Thiruvarur. Moreover, the duo has sparked off a battle of freebies. In her election manifesto on Thursday, Jayalalithaa matched the DMK promise for promise.The DMK, in its manifesto, has promised free laptops to all 11th and 12th standard students, 20 kg of free rice to all ration card holders and for all women, a fan, mixer and grinder free of charge.
"No doubt this government has left the state in debt. I have specifically mentioned in the manifesto. DMK government has pulled Tamil Nadu into a debt of Rs 1 lakh crore. Our election manifesto has all the schemes that will retrieve the state from the debts and once again make Tamil Nadu a prosperous state. I only promise what I can deliver," said Jayalalithaa.
The DMK, which began the practice of promising free colour TVs for votes in 2006, said Jayalalithaa has just copied their strategy.
"People will trust only what we have said because we have given what we promised in 2006 and they won't trust Jayalalithaa," DMK leader MK Stalin.
So it's a laptop for a laptop, rice for rice between the AIADMK and the DMK. And these elections will perhaps prove if Tamil Nadu's voter will deliver their mandate based on the promise of freebies.
TN polls: DMK, AIADMK lure voters with freebies
Comment: Cash for Votes Morphs to Goods for Votes

Jawans at borders get stale food: CAG Report

Wed, Aug 4 04:49 AM
The Indian Army soldiers posted at some of the most difficult locations in the world along the China and Pakistan border are getting food that is unfit for human consumption and at times is more than two years beyond the expiry date, a latest government report on supply of rations in the armed forces has revealed.

The audit report says the Army has violated its own norms and has been supplying troops with food items, including rice, sugar and wheat, which are way past their expiry date. Most of the cases, the report reveals, pertain to the Northern Command, the largest Army formation in the country that has troops along the Pakistan and China border as well as the Siachen glacier.

"It was found that atta, sugar, rice, tea, dal, edible oil and raisins were consumed six to 28 months after the expiry of their normal storage life," the report says, adding that the food items were given illegal life extensions by a Jammu-based lab that were against the standing rules of the Army.

While soldiers have been complaining about the bad quality of food served at forward locations, this is the first official report of a large-scale violation of norms across the Northern Command.

The report also suggests a large-scale rigging of prices by revealing that 36 per cent of cases of procurement of fresh rations were based only on single quotations, taking away any scope of competitiveness. Not only that, raising suspicions of corruption, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report has found that rations worth almost Rs 2 crore, meant for soldiers in high altitude areas, remain untraceable in the Northern Command. A majority of these rations, the report says, were issued during 2005-06, during which former Army Chief General Deepak Kapoor was heading the Northern Command.

The report also quotes an internal Army study that reveals only one per cent of soldiers in units across the country find the quality of rations they receive as excellent. A majority of the jawans have graded their rations as satisfactory or below.

While the armed forces have been trying to improve rations, the damning report has come as a shocker. The ministry is currently working on a long term plan to improve the quality of food as well as storage locations and is likely to come up with a new set of regulations soon.
Jawans at borders get stale food: CAG Report

Filing frivolous appeals against solidiers by GOI has irked the Law Ministry

Thursday, April 22, 2010
When Law Ministry made it clear to others.
It was expected that these comments by the Hon’ble Supreme Court would haunt us. ‘Don’t treat soldiers like beggars’, the Apex Court had remarked. But did the disparaging remarks have any effect ? The test of the same would be the number of explanations called by senior Defence Ministry functionaries on the issue. But were any questions asked, any corrective measures initiated, any papers floated ? I don’t know. Probably zilch, probably some, time shall tell.

The auto-pilot mode of some departments and ministries in filing frivolous appeals has irked the Law Ministry no end. Besides some recent directions, the Law Ministry had also shot a missive to all departments and ministries last year in September too. It can be viewed by clicking here. Hopefully the civilian staff of the MoD would realise that sometimes it does not pay to take a purely legalistic view of human issues. After all, we are dealing with humans here, not machines or corporates. Or is it the subsidised liquor or free rations which trouble them ?
Posted by Navdeep / Maj Navdeep Singh at 5:21 AM

Free Rations for Troops: How MOD was bribed?

Lt Gen Krishnaswami Balaram PVSM (Retd)
A DAUGHTER’S TRIBUTE

The many stories that are associated with Dad, the numerous tributes pouring forth from the people who have known him have made me add my personal very favourite tribute to him.

How did Entitled Rations become Authorised to the Defence Services?
At the time Dad was the Adjutant General two of the major issues he handled were the Fourth Pay Commission and getting Authorised rations or Free rations (as it was then called) for the Defence Services.

When the file for the Free rations was ready the General sent it across to the Ministry for approval and signature. The file came back with some observations. Duly rectified the General sent it back. Again the file came back with some fresh observations. The General made the necessary corrections and sent it back. When this had occurred a few times the General got suspicious and sent one of his officers across to the Ministry to find out exactly what was needed to get the file through.

The officer came back and told him that one of the officers in the Ministry who was vital for getting the file signed had a daughter in the Army Medical Corps who was posted in MH X and he wanted her posted to Delhi. “ Is that all?” said the General incredulously. Promptly he picked up the phone and called the DGMS (Army). Giving him the details of the Lady MO he told him “ issue the posting order and a copy of the same to be on my table by the afternoon”.

A little later the DGMS (Army) called him back and told him “ Sir, this lady has been posted to MH X not even three months back. How can I issue another posting order for Delhi?”

To this the General replied “ To you it is issuing the posting order of one Lady Medical Officer. To me it is a question of getting through Free rations for the entire Defence Forces. Issue the posting order and send me a copy within this hour.”

The posting order was issued. A copy of the same was with the General within the hour. The file with the posting order was sent to the Ministry. The file was processed rapidly. Signed and returned to the General.

Free Rations were then authorized and issued to the Defence Forces.

Dad often looked at me and with a twinkle in his say “ Lady Medical Officers………God Bless them!!!!!!!!”
Lt Col (Dr) Radha J Joneja (Retd)